In the wake of students bringing to light the bleak conditions of a new downtown residence building plagued by a contaminated water supply, McMaster University says it is turning to chlorination in hopes of correcting the issue.
A series of concerns have been flagged by residents of 10 Bay St. South. From milky-white water, to bug infestation and electrical outages, students say the state of the building has loomed over them in the entire duration of their stay thus far.
It has all culminated in a myriad of health issues, including rashes and stomach issues, that students say have been directly caused by the milky-white water currently running through the building.
The most recent water test conducted by the school revealed the presence of total coliforms in parts of the building. Following multiple attempts at flushing the system, in a message shared with the building’s residents the school says it is now turning to chlorination to sanitize the supply.
The chlorination process was completed on Tuesday, with water sampling to be conducted on every floor. Those test results are expected to be made available by the end of next week.
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Officials from the university have reaffirmed their message that the presence of these coliforms does not typically have harmful effects or cause health concerns, citing Public Health Ontario.
McMaster says that they will be opening appointments for residents to meet with staff to discuss and address any concerns one-on-one beginning next week.
In the meantime, officials have advised residents to use an alternative water supply or boil water if they have any concerns.
Last week, students shared their experiences within the walls of a building that remains under construction months into their time living there.
Mehdi Saleh is an international student from Iran who says his health took a hit as soon as he moved into the residence.
“I feel like I’m living in a prison,” said Saleh. “I had rashes all over my body. In some periods, fever.”
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“I am not feeling safe and secure in my home and that has made me feel fragmented… I feel angry, I feel stressed, I feel anxiety. Last week I was really feeling depressed.” said another student living in the building.
In a statement shared with CHCH News, a spokesperson for McMaster said in part, “We know how challenging it is for students to find safe and academically supportive housing. Tenants were advised in advance that they were moving into a building where construction was still taking place.”
Students have rallied together, establishing the newly formed CUPE 3906 Tenant Solidarity Working Group at 10 Bay.
The group has penned an open letter to the university listing their demands for action. These include a 75 per cent rent refund for the months of November and December, along with a 60 per cent rent reduction until construction is complete.
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The university has told media that residents will be offered a 50 per cent refund for the month of September and 25 per cent for October, November and December.
However, the working group says that McMaster officials have not reached out to them directly as of this afternoon.
“We don’t think it is appropriate for our employer, our educator and our landlord to use the media as a third party sort of communication medium,” said Elliot Goodell Ugalde, one of the group’s co-chairs.
“Further, none of the demands have been met, not all of them are fiscal, some of them are practical in regards to health and safety.”
For now, students await the results of the latest chlorination process in hopes that at last, they will have clean water running through their homes.
